What Cor-Bon does

Cor-Bon (legal entity CORBON, INC.) is a US-based, privately held manufacturer of small arms ammunition founded in 1982 and headquartered in Grafton, Ohio. The company produces premium handgun and rifle ammunition across 16 handgun calibers (including 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, .357 Mag, .380 Auto, and .500 S&W Mag) and 8 rifle calibers (including .223, .300 AAC Blackout, .308 Win, .338 Lapua, and 7mm Rem Mag), spanning roughly 127 SKUs. Its product portfolio is organized around proprietary bullet platforms rather than commodity offerings: DPX all-copper deep-penetrating expanding bullets, Glaser Safety Slug reduced-over-penetration rounds, Pow'R Ball polymer-tipped self-defense loads (protected by US Patent 6,792,869), Urban Response urban-environment defensive ammunition, JHP jacketed hollow points, Hunter high-velocity hunting loads, and supporting lines including Performance Match, Concealed Carry Combo, Range Day, Top Shot FMJ range ammo, and standalone projectiles for reloaders.

Cor-Bon serves four primary end-use segments: concealed carry and self-defense, hunting, law enforcement and tactical, and competitive or recreational range shooting, with civilians representing the dominant demand base and military/law enforcement supported through a dedicated Heroes discount program and formal government contractor registration (UEI V875NQW1A3A8, CAGE 0ZV33). The company makes money through one-time ammunition and projectile sales priced at roughly $0.41 to $4.10 per round depending on caliber and product line, with bulk bundle options for multi-box and case-quantity purchases.

Go-to-market is dual-channel: direct-to-consumer e-commerce at corbon.com (with caliber/application filtering, bundle pricing, and a 5% newsletter-acquisition offer) layered on top of a nationwide authorized dealer network of 229+ retailers that includes national chains Cabela's and Scheels, major online distributor Midway USA, and independent gun shops and sporting goods stores across all 50 states. Marketing is supported through Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm operates with a 1–10 employee headcount, consistent with a small-batch specialty manufacturer rather than a volume commodity producer.

Name

Cor-Bon

Legal name

CORBON, INC.

Website

https://corbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cor-Bon is a privately held US manufacturer of premium small arms ammunition serving concealed carry, hunting, law enforcement, and recreational shooters through proprietary bullet platforms (DPX, Glaser Safety Slug, Pow'R Ball) distributed via corbon.com and 229+ authorized dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing

NAICS

Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing (332992), Small Arms, Ordnance, and Ordnance Accessories Manufacturing (332994)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)

akta.pro primary industry

Ammunition Manufacturing (Small-, Medium- & Large-Caliber) (IMABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Firearms & Ammunition Retail (CRAMAKAA), Ordnance Components & Subassemblies (Casings, Liners, Guidance Sections) (IMABAHAL)

Keywords

• Small arms ammunition
• Defensive handgun ammunition
• Hunting rifle ammunition
• Self-defense ammunition
• Ammunition manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sturgis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ammunition Sales: One-time purchase of ammunition products across handgun and rifle categories. Revenue generated through direct consumer sales via e-commerce and through dealer network distribution.
2. Projectile/Bullets Sales: Sale of individual projectiles (DPX bullets) for handloading and reloading purposes, sold in bulk quantities (100-count boxes).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cor-Bon manufactures and sells high-performance small arms ammunition for self-defense, hunting, law enforcement, and tactical applications. The product portfolio spans proprietary lines including DPX all-copper expanding bullets, Glaser Safety Slug, Pow'R Ball polymer-tipped ammunition, Urban Response, JHP, and Hunter ammunition, covering 16 handgun and 8 rifle calibers. Distribution is handled through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (corbon.com) and a nationwide network of 229+ authorized dealers including major retailers like Cabela's, Scheels, and Midway USA.

Product overview

Cor-Bon is a manufacturer and retailer of high-performance ammunition offering multiple specialized product lines for different applications. The core product lines include DPX (all-copper deep-penetrating expanding ammunition), Glaser Safety Slug (reduced over-penetration for close-quarters), Pow'RBall (polymer-tipped self-defense), Urban Response (urban/populated area defense), JHP (jacketed hollow point for everyday carry), and Hunter (high-velocity hunting ammunition). Additional offerings include Performance Match (competitive shooting), Concealed Carry Combo (value bundles), Range Day (training ammunition), Projectiles (reloading components), and Top Shot (FMJ range ammunition). Products span two main categories: Handgun Ammunition (including 9mm, 380 Auto, 45 Auto, 40 S&W, 357 Mag, 38 Special, 10mm Auto, and more) and Rifle Ammunition (including 223, 300 AAC Blackout, 308 Win, 5.56, 270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 338 Lapua Mag, and others).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DPX: Deep Penetrating X-Panding all-copper bullet technology designed for serious performance with reliable stopping power, deep penetration, and consistent expansion through barriers.
• Glaser Safety Slug
• Pow'R Ball
• Urban Response
• JHP
• Hunter

Products and services

• DPX (Deep Penetrating X-Panding) All-copper bullet ammunition designed to penetrate deep while expanding consistently through tough barriers, delivering reliable stopping power for self-defense situations.
• Glaser Safety Slug Safety slug ammunition designed for close-quarters defense where over-penetration is a concern. Transfers energy quickly while reducing the risk of passing through walls, suitable for home and personal protection.
• Pow'R Ball Self-defense ammunition combining smooth feeding with rapid expansion; features a polymer ball tip that helps cycle reliably in semi-auto firearms while delivering strong terminal performance (Patent 6,792,869).
• Urban Response Personal defense ammunition engineered for populated environments, designed to provide effective stopping power while limiting excessive penetration.
• JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) Jacketed hollow point ammunition built for proven defensive performance, delivering aggressive expansion and trusted penetration in real-world self-defense situations.
• Hunter High-velocity hunting ammunition delivering precision and power for field use, ensuring deep penetration and clean, ethical harvests.
• Performance Match Match-grade ammunition designed for competitive shooting and precision training, offering consistent performance and accuracy.
• Concealed Carry Combo Combo packages of self-defense ammunition designed for concealed carry applications, offered as value bundles of defensive rounds.
• Range Day Ammunition designed for range practice and training sessions.
• Projectiles Loose bullets and projectiles sold separately in bulk (100-count boxes) for handloading and reloading purposes.
• Top Shot Full metal jacket (FMJ) range ammunition designed for training and target practice, available in large quantities such as 1000-round cases.
• Handgun Ammunition Ammunition designed for handgun firearms, available in multiple calibers including 380 Auto, 9mm Luger, 38 Super Auto, 38 Special, 357 Sig, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, 44 S&W, 44 Rem Mag, 45 Colt, 45 Auto, 454 Casull, and 500 S&W Mag.
• Rifle Ammunition Ammunition designed for rifle firearms, available in calibers including 223/5.56, 270 Win, 300 AAC Blackout, 308 Win, 338 Lapua Mag, 458 Socom, and 7mm Rem Mag.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Federal Premium (Vista Outdoor): Federal Premium, part of Vista Outdoor's Ammunition segment, is a broad ammunition incumbent producing handgun, rifle, shotshell, and rimfire products at scale; it is the dominant shelf-share competitor Cor-Bon faces at every authorized dealer.
• Remington Ammunition: Remington produces a wide lineup of handgun, rifle, and shotshell ammunition distributed across sporting goods retailers nationwide, directly overlapping with Cor-Bon's defensive and hunting product families.
• Winchester Ammunition (Olin Corporation): Winchester is one of the largest US ammunition manufacturers under Olin Corporation, producing commercial and military ammunition across virtually every caliber; it competes with Cor-Bon in defensive and hunting categories at the same retailers.

Direct peers

• Hornady Manufacturing: Hornady is a family-owned US manufacturer of premium handgun, rifle, and shotshell ammunition focused on hunting, self-defense, and precision shooting, directly competing with Cor-Bon's defense, hunting, and match segments.
• Underwood Ammo: Underwood is a smaller US ammo manufacturer with a strong direct-to-consumer storefront offering premium defensive, hunting, and hard-cast handgun loads, structurally similar to Cor-Bon's specialty-DTC plus dealer hybrid model.
• Black Hills Ammunition: Black Hills is a privately held specialty ammunition manufacturer focused on premium defensive, hunting, and match-grade loads with government and LE customers, making it one of the closest direct peers in size and strategy to Cor-Bon.
• SIG Sauer (Elite Performance Ammunition): SIG Sauer's ammunition division produces premium V-Crown and Elite defensive and hunting rounds distributed through its own dealer network and big-box retailers, directly contesting Cor-Bon's defensive SKUs.
• Magtech Ammunition (CBC Group): Magtech is the commercial ammunition brand of Brazilian conglomerate CBC, supplying range/training and defensive handgun ammunition in the US with overlapping calibers and price points to Cor-Bon.
• Speer (CCI, Vista Outdoor): Speer, part of Vista Outdoor, specializes in law-enforcement and personal-defense handgun ammunition (Gold Dot, law-only training), closely mirroring Cor-Bon's defensive-only positioning with a strong LE channel.

Emerging players

• Buffalo Bore Ammunition: Buffalo Bore is a small specialty ammunition maker focused on high-performance hard-cast and defensive handgun rounds sold primarily direct and through specialty dealers, intersecting Cor-Bon's defensive and tactical niches.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CorBonAmmoUSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CorBonAmmoUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/corbonammousa
• Instagraminstagram.com/corbonammunition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cor-Bon